Improvement in railroad-car trucks



Fig. 4 'is a sectional view showing theirv forward axles.

` dispense UNITED STATES PATENT Ormea 'IMPRVEM ENT lN RAILROAD-CAR .TeuoK-s.-

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No, 38,719, dated June 2, i863.

To all whom Iit 'may concern i Be it known that 1, CHARLES R. ANDER- son, and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad- Gar Truck-Frames; and I do hereby declare that the following is a i'ull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference. being had to thev accompanying drawings, making a part of thisspecification, inl whichv Figure 1 is a plan View of my improved truck-frame. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section through Fig. l, in the vertical plane indicated by the red line a: .fr there0n. Fig. 3 is a trauverse section through Fig. l, in the vertical plane indicated by one of the quadrant-bearings for the bolster. Figs. 5 and dare views ot' the improved center bearing for the bolster.

Similarletters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The object of my invention is to strengthen and to render more substantial the frames of canti-noirs, and thereby increase the capacity of the trucks for supporting their load without increasing the height-ot' the trucks or the distancel of the floor of the ear-body from the axles thereof also, to bring the traetive force which is applied to the truckfframes 'nearer to the plane of the rails without diminishing,r the diameter of cars safer, easier, andless liable to jump the track, besides, preventing the constant tendency of the canting of the trucks over on lt lalso has for its object combining with a depressed bolster-support a central key-head coupling and bearing for 'the bolster and car-body, which enables me to with the usual kinggbolt connection, and which is also self-lubricating, cheaper than the ki11g-bolt-,and which gives great strength where it is most required; also, to combine with a depressed bolstersupport and bolster rocking supports and bearings ,for the en'ds of the bolster, which allow it to have a free play on its center bearing'f'and admit of the trucks accommodating themselves to the curves of the road in 'a more perfect manner than slide-bearings, rollers, or other devices whichhave hitherto'been used, "all as will be heelnafter described.

uic-natie 'others .qi-,nud in m: sa en' only 0f St. Louis, in 'the county ot St. Louis the red line y y thereon.l

the wheels, thus making the understand my invention, l. will procecdto describe its construction and operation.4

In the accompanying drawings, A A represent the longitudinal side beams, and B the transverse beams, constituting the main portion of the tru drame. This frame is snp` ported upon th axles a a of the truck-wheels b b b b by means et brackets, journal-boxes," &c., in the usual manner, and the truck-wheels b are of the usual diameter. The frame-beams vA A are made somewhat larger verthzally' than hitherto, and below these beams, extending transversely across the center of the truckframe, is a heavy beam, O, which is bolted by means ot'- through -bolts, stirrup straps, 'or other means to these beams A A, andforihs a support for thc bolster D, as shown clearly in Figs. l, 2, and 3 ol the'drawings, and brings the bearing of, this bolster in or belowthe plane of the bottom of the tiuck-i'rai\ie. The bolster D consistswol' a very strong` beam ofl the usual lengt-li, but somewhat thicker vertically than usual, and which tapers from its middle to its extreme ends, in order to allow it to have a bearing upon the depressed trans verse beam O, while its ends extend over the longitudinal or side beams, A A, asshownin Fig. 4. In this way stronger beams tlm-n hitherto, and at the same time not increase the height of the *door 'ot'- the car from the plane ot the surface of the rails or the horizontal plane of the axles.. The central bearing for the bolster D,- which isinterposed between lthis bolster y and the de pressed beam C, consists, essentially, of two mctallic'boxes,which are secu-red,re'spectively, to the beam G and bolster D by meunsof screwbolts. The bottom portion, G, has rising out ot' its center a pedestal, 1,withau oblong crossliead, d", which passes through a corresponding hole in the upper plate, G', and occupies a circular recess in the upper part of this top plate. By turning leither plate G G' quarterway round the two are locked together, thus performing the duty of the king-boltgwithout the. use of that ohectinable instrument. As the bottom plate, Gr, does not require a hole through it, this plate, or the circular groove surrounding the pedestal d, becomes a cup for. the, retention of lubricating joint.

By means ofthis simple pivot-ccuplingl se nur e all the objects attained by the use of a kine?? l amenabled to use much material for the.4

2 t :sans

blocks ff are firmly secured to the bottom of the bolster D, near the inside of the longitudinal beams A A, and the 4quadrants F F are pivoted tothe blocks f fby steel pins, on which the quadrants vibrate. ',lhe lower arcs or surfaces of the two quadrants bea-r updn the footplates g g, which are let into the top of the depressed beain G tlush with its surface, as shown r in Figl 4. N ow, it will be seen that these side bearings forthe bolster actupon theprinciple` of alarge roller or wheel, of which they are the segments, and consequently greatly :reduce the friction incident to the side-pressure ofthe load in the car and occurrent to the slides, which are now in common use. The heavy bearingy and friction upon these dirty, rusty,

. slide side bearings almost render the truck a fixture to the car-body, andth us prevent its conforming to the curvesof the road at switches and other places, thereby causing the train to run ott' the track-an occurrence more frequently owing to this evil than is generally supposed, for itis eviden-t that an nnyielding truck is constantly forcing the flange of the outer Wheel toseize upon any point of projecting rail, frog, or switchwhile with my improved arrangement a free and easy motion is obtained which will not be materially aftected by the accumulation of dirt. or rust. The center pivot-bearing can be made to work so closely thatthere will be no open joint for the admission of dirt, and by detaching one of the plates and giving it a quarter-turn the plates ,mav be separated one from the other.

By'suspendingt iesupporting-beam C under i the side beams, A A, ot' the truck-frame, in-

stead of mortising it into the y upper part of these side beams, a lower point ot' support for the bolster is obtained, which being the point where the propelling or tractve force is appliedto the truck,.there is less tendency to cant the truck over on its forward a-Xlewhen lnrethanthe usual obstruction opposes the movement ot' the truck. Depressing the beam C gives more room for the deep bolster D, and

enables me to kincrease the radii of the quadl rants F F. It also'enables me to use stouter timbers in, the truckframeand to lnzake a inch more substantial fr'a'nie than hitherte without increasing the height ofthe car-body above the track or the necessity ot' bracing it with iron, hog-chains, bolts, 85e., as in trucks now in common use.

By employing lsuspended ,quadrants F F, I obtain in one-half 'the compass required for rollers or wheels the necessary support and length of bearings, andget rid of the quad-l rants` fallin g'. do Wny from `under the beam D, as in the-use of quadrants hung or pivoted to the beamU and extending,r up therefrom to D.

Having thus describedniyinventiom what' I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is "f7 V l. Arranging the' snpportingbeam C for the bolster D belon'r the planeet' the bottom of the truclr-frame,fandr making said beam a fixture with A and a support for the ends as well as the center of the bolster, substantially asile scribed. y

2.- Supporting' the ends of a centrallyepilvoted bolster, D, suspended upon pivoted quadrants F F, which admit of a longitudinal moyemen t, and a depressed beam, C, substantially as described. Y

3. The application Aof the center pivotiblearing, consisting of plates G G', cylindrical Ybox G2, and a vertical keyhead ,-11 d', in a-car-truck constructed substantiall y as herein described.

4. Making the base and side bearing forthe .hollow center pivot an oil-cnp for lubricating` this pivot, vand also a chamber forkeepin g said pivot in place, substantially as described.

5. Atruck-fr'ame for railroad-cars, consist'- ing of two side beams, A A, transverse beams B B, depressed transverse bolster-support U, and the tapering bolster D,'arranged and operatine substantially as herein .(lescribed. l

6. The combination of plates G G', quadrants F F, and beams C'D, allvarranged sub 'stantially as described.

oHAs; n. ANDERSON. Witnesses l FRANcIsIO. GREENE, CYRnNnIs G.'SIMMoNs. l 

